Race of a Lifetime
by kittxthexcat
Summary: Boy, Raph has sure gotten himself into some trouble this time! Being asked by a mysterious samurai girl to join her in an all-out, no-holds-bar motorcycle death race, and actually saying yes? Raph is in the race of a lifetime! Chap. 4! R&R!
1. Prologue and Chapter One

Okie, please note. This is my first (technically second) TMNT fan fic. I don't own these guys, and don't know every little detail about them. So if I screw up on a small detail, please don't yell at me! That would be bad. Also, I do own the character named 'Strike'. So use her, and I will be severely angry. Got it? Good. On to the story!  
  
prologue  
so it begins  
  
Strike snarled. It had been a quiet night, for once. The silence was odd, she didn't like it. Hardly a car ran down the street in which she sat over, shadowed in the darkness of the building above her. She was perched upon a large ledge of the First Bank building, stretching out her massive, leathery wings every now and then. Her claws dug deep into the concrete beneath them, holding a hard grip on it. She yawned. Her tongue lapped quietly over her enlarged fangs before she once again shut her mouth, her upper teeth overlapping her bottom lip. Golden eyes swept over the landscape, still finding nothing of much interest.  
  
The high-pitched whir of a Japanese made motorcycle suddenly filled her dragon ears, making her throw back her head to listen better. She snorted, how she hated those Japanese bikes! They sounded like bees to her. Her amber colored eyes twitched towards her right, the bike coming into immediate view. It was coming in at a high speed, around 50 or 55 m.p.h. from Strike's guess. The red finish on the fenders and tank glinted sharply each time it fell under the light of a street lamp. Strike's eyes narrowed at it, it didn't seem right. With a massive flap of her metallic tinted black wings, which where torn or ripped in places, she swooped down to street level, shifting quickly into her human form. Still hidden by shadow, she peered beyond the corner of the building in which she hide, eyes intent upon the bike. Her lips curled in a savage snarl, she most defiantly wasn't liking this. The bike flashed by her, at which point she slipped from the shadow and into the light. Her own Buell ThunderBolt stood near her, yearning for her to follow the other. Her lip twitched in a smirk, and quickly hopped onto the bike.  
  
Wind whipped over the front fender of the ThunderBolt, its speeds reaching almost 60 now. The other bike lay still ahead of them, seemingly not knowing of what was to come. Strike clenched the throttle and gear tightly, her speed reaching beyond joyous limits. Her skills on the bike where impeccable, that sneer still on her face. The rider of the front bike finally realized he was being followed, twisting back slightly to see behind him. His eyes narrowed slightly, irritated that someone would shadow him like that. He turned forward once more, twisting the throttle harder, hitting 70 now.  
  
Luckily, and oddly, there was hardly a trace of other life that night, or both would probably been dead at that point. But Strike loved the idea of that, it didn't matter to her how dangerous it was, it would take a lot to kill an immortal like Strike. Now, she was just looking for the thrill of racing another rider, with no limits, and an imminent victory to proceed. She stepped up the speed. The ThunderBolt was nearly side by side with the other bike now. Strike grinned menacingly, and pressed again. Finally the bikes layed side by side. Strike gave a grinning snarl to the other rider, lipping the word 'Race!?'. A smirk flashed across his lips, as he tightened the throttle. So it began.  
  
chapter 1  
the race of a lifetime, or the end of one  
  
Raph growled. 'What the hell does she want?? Gees, the guys'll be mad at me enough if I'm late, but they'll be really pissed if they know it was 'cause I was out racin'!' He growled again at the thought. But he couldn't help that now. Little did he know, the challenger was out for the race of a lifetime, or the end of one. She was out to shed someone's blood, no matter how she had to do it.  
  
Strike lapped at her fangs again. 'Damn that Vamp! Being a shape shifter is bad enough, a Samurai one to boot! Great, I'm in a race for my life, and I don't even really have a reason besides I'm hungry! How do you explain that to cops? That is, if I get caught, which is highly unlikely. But, I guess this would count as a violent death..the one and only way I can die!' She shoke her head lightly, tossing away these thoughts. Rather, she bolted off after her competitor, pushing 80 m.p.h. now.  
  
The high-pitched buzz, and deep guttural rumble of the two bikes drove home through the ears of all who were close enough to hear; they were quite deafening after awhile. The sounds mixed, somewhat harmonizing together. It was something of a lullaby in Strikes ears, she loved the sound of motors, any kind of motor. She thrived on the Night Races, held in the old streets of New York, where cops didn't care who drove there, or how fast they were going. It was a racers dream. And now, in a few weeks, they would hold the greatest underworld race, an all-out, no-holds-bar death race, where the winner would get 1 million dollars plus. Strike was going to win it. No matter what, she couldn't lose. But she couldn't concentrate on that now, there were bigger stakes at the moment.  
  
Bikes now side by side, Strike and Raph exchanged a vicious stare. Somehow, they felt like they knew each other, in an odd, unexplainable way. Something from Strike's past.something dealing with Strike's brother...Rai. She shoke her head again, only slightly. Her lip curled, her Vampirish fangs exposed, digging gently into her light, battle scarred skin. Raph's eyes flashed at the sight of her fangs, immediately knowing something was up. He'd dealt with Vamps before, and didn't really want to deal with them again. He growled lowly before returning to the road.  
  
Headlights flashed in front of Strike, heading straight at her. She was in the left lane, the wrong lane, and at the speed she was going, the car would be on her in seconds. Strike only grinned at it, pulling up the front end of the Buell up. A few seconds later, as anticipated, the back tire hit against the front fender of the car, flipping it up while pushing the front end back down. The front tire spun slightly until it hit against the roof of the car, the back pushing off the hood. Sliding down the back end of the little car, the Buell's weight pressed down hard on the trunk, pushing the gas tank lower to the ground. A sudden bump in the road scrapped against the rusted tank, ripping it wide open. By that time, Strike was off and racing after Raph again. But unfortunately for the driver, the gas tank exploded into a fiery mass, causing a few cars parked near to start on fire as well. Strike only looked back with a sneer. 'Serves him right for screwing with this race!' She cackled lowly at his misfortune, her ultimate prank.  
  
Raph gulped once he heard the explosion. A glance into his left mirror told him of the car driver's untimely end. 'This kid means BUISNESS!!!!! This is a life or death thing here!' He thought with remorse. If he had only been going the speed limit in the first place..  
  
Strike compulsively lapped at her fangs, already able to taste the tangy, coppery taste of blood filling her mouth, dripping down the back of her throat. 'The best taste in the world.next to buffalo meat really.' She grinned lightly, tugging on the throttle before she started daydreaming about it. But it was hard not to. Little did she know, the blood she desired would be a lot harder to get than she thought, and not exactly the kind she believed it to be.  
  
'Time to get this crap over with!! Gotta start dodgin' now!' Raph gritted his teeth, leaning a little farther forward, and turned sharply to the left, into the Central Park area. He quickly checked his mirror to make sure he had lost her, but assumed too much, to quickly. After a moment, he presumed her to be gone. Strike was not so easily lost. She easily darted after him, not fearing what might lie ahead. By then, Raph had already slowed down. Before she knew it, she was on a collision course for the other bike. In a spurt of agility, she whipped around him, just inches away from him. A spurt of anger welded up in both Strike and Raphael. Strike for having thought better of this one; Raph for thinking she would leave well enough alone. Both stopped their bikes, Strike turning sharply around to face him. Her lip twitched in a sinister grin. In one easy flowing movement, she whipped out her lethal Katana blade, the steel glinting brightly in the light of the street lamp above. She held it in a battle position, the tip of it still stained with another's blood, whose it was, no one knew. Raph's eyes became wide for a split second, before they narrowed again, viscously. He quickly grabbed one of his Sais from his belt, also holding it in battling position.  
  
Strike snorted lightly at his meek excuse of a weapon. A moment later she fell into a fit of laughter, nearly dropping her sword in the process. Raph became overly perplexed by this, raising a brow.  
  
"And what if I may ask is so funny to you?" His voice held a gruff and agitated grumble in it.  
  
Strike took a minute to regain herself. "The fact that you're a ninja! And expecting to beat a samurai at her two best things! Racing, and the welding of a sword!" She cackled quietly. Raph gritted his teeth again, surprised she had somehow found out he was a ninja, and the fact she was a samurai!  
  
"Why you think I'm a ninja?? And I'm not expecting to beat you, 'cause I didn't even know we where racing!!" He hissed back, lowering his guard somewhat.  
  
Strike snorted again. "Hmm.lemme guess. The fact that you carry a sai with you, might just give you away. I mean come on! There's no way a real New Yorker would carry that kinda steel 'round with 'um! Plus, you couldn't be anything else, I'm the last samurai left in existence out of Japan, and no other martial art masters would carry a sai with them. Very obvious." She smirked once again. "It's kinda hard not to realize we were racing. Why else would I drive you to high speeds like that? Think 'bout it kid. Although." Her voice started to trail off a bit as she considered the prospects. The million dollar Night Race was a team race, you'd need to race along side another person, something Strike had accidentally ignored. Perhaps this other would be willing to ride along side. She couldn't kill him now, unless he declined.  
  
"Although what!?" Raph snapped, starting to get real fed up with her.  
  
Strike looked back over at him, her eyes somewhat narrowed in attempt to make out his features a bit better. It was to no avail, he was beyond the reach of the street light, while she sat directly under it. 'Very un- samurai of me! But very ninjaish all the same.' She grinned lightly. "The up-coming million dollar race is a few weeks away, and I'm in need of a team runner. One with some actual skill that is. Not only with a bike, but one that can also take care of itself at the same time. This isn't an easy race, it's kinda like a giant death match really.Nearly a hundred riders all out for the same thing, and ready to kill to get it. But you, you'd be just the right person to be at my side. I think it's kinda ironic for a samurai to be asking the aid of a ninja, but it's not like I have a lotta people, or choices, lined up at this point. What do you say to that..uh.I didn't quite get your name."  
  
Raph smirked. 'Like I'd really give my name to some chick who tried to fridgin' kill me! Might as well though..' "My name is Raphael, but most people just call me Raph. I'm not exactly who, or what, you think I am. See, I'm really a.." Strike cut him short.  
  
"I really don't care what you are. I've been around longer than you would think, and met more crazies and wack jobs than you can imagine! All that I do care about is if you accept or not. What say you now, Raphael?"  
  
Raph growled quietly. He hated being cut off or interrupted. But the fact that someone could care less about what another looked like or even was, was somewhat startling to him. In a spur of wanting to know more about this, 'race' as she called it, he agreeingly said, "Yeah, I'll race whichya." Little did he know what a mess he had gotten himself into.  
  
Strike's eyes immediately brightened up, a sinister smile flashing across her face. "Excellent! We'll need to start training the course then. Tomorrow night. 8 o'clock. The old New York highway cross roads. Met me at the first stop sign on O'Malley Road, I'll be waiting. I'll show you the course and we can start learning it together, alright?" Raph nodded in understanding. "Good." Strike grinned as she put her sword away once more, and turned to leave. Before she could, Raph called out to her.  
  
"Wait! I didn't get your name!"  
  
"My name? I am named Mamoru Orinamii, but you may call me Strike." 


	2. We must ride as the flock flies, unified

Notice: I don't own these guys. I do own the character 'Strike'. If you use her without permission, I do have the grounds to sue you, and I WILL! Good. On with chapter 2!!  
  
chapter 2  
we must ride as the flock flies. unified.  
  
Raph slowed his bike up in the subway tunnel, parking along the wall. He knew what would soon become of him, a giant mass of questions, where he had gone, why he hadn't checked in, why he'd been gone so long, what happened, was he alright. Just the thought of all the questions made him shudder with anger. He quickly cleared himself as best he could, putting himself in an almost good mood. But he was still overly perplexed by that samurai girl that had stopped him, and the proposed race. After a moment of playing with the hilt of his sai in boredom, he continued on to the old subway cars that he and his brothers considered home.  
  
As expected, Raph received some odd looking glares and stares from his brothers while putting his helmet and jacket away. No one spoke, surprisingly. He'd normally have been asked a million questions by now. 'Is everybody in some sort of comma or something? No questions? That's odd.but a relief all the same!' A flicker of what seemed to be smile came up, but vanished all too quickly.  
  
"Where you been all night?" Leo snapped from his spot on the couch. His eyes were narrowed, showing his obvious annoyed feelings towards his brother. Raph groaned mentally. 'Maybe I spoke to soon?'  
  
"Riding."  
  
Raph noticed Leo's small snarl at his response. He only smirked causally at it. In an odd way, it somewhat pleased him to see his brother get annoyed like that over him. Somehow, it made him feel he had a certain, 'power' over Leo.  
  
"Why are you late then?" Leo's eyes stayed narrowed only slightly, his semi- nonexistent temper starting to wear thin with his brother. Yet another night had passed that Raph had come home late, with no good reason. It was starting to test Leo's patience a little.  
  
"Am I? Did I have some.previous engagement to be attending?" Raph spat, turning to go to his room. A sneer twitched at the end of his lip as Leo stood silently, unable to find a good reply. "Didn't think so." He muttered as he shut the door to the subway car, his 'room'.  
  
Once again, sleep plagued Raphael, as it had many a night, keeping itself as far away from him as it could. No matter what Raph did to try and sleep, it constantly eluded him, as it had for the past week. He couldn't stop thinking about that girl, her bike, or her sword. The way she said, 'Ironic how a samurai would ask a ninja for help' in that sneer tone she had. It sounded kinda mocking to him. But he couldn't do much about that right now, he said he'd be there tomorrow night at eight, and so he would, whether Leo was there to stop him or not! Another thing that bothered him, 'I've been around longer than you think.' What was that supposed to mean? Was she immortal or something? 'I guess that's somehow possible.' Raph pondered a moment. He'd just have to wait and see.  
  
Strike leaned up against the stop sign of O'Malley Road, yawning bored every now and again. She had been there for thirty minutes already, with no signs of her 'team mate'. She was starting to get real pissed off now, along with being somewhat worried. If this guy didn't come, she'd have to figure out another way to get into that race, without a partner. He was her last resort, this, 'Raph' guy.  
  
Finally, her worries were put to rest as that stupid, high-pitched buzz of Raph's Jap bike fluttered to her ears. A grin flicked across her lips as she turned to the direction of his bike. It was dark on the old road, and it was hard to see, but she knew it was him. The headlight flashed in her eyes, blinding her momentarily. She squinted slightly to get a better look as he came up along side her. Her grin widened slightly as he parked next to her ThunderBolt. Long steps carried her to the side of her bike, that smirk still playing on her face.  
  
"Thought you wouldn't come! What took so long?" Her head tilted slightly to the side.  
  
Raph thought up another one of his quick excuses. "Technical problems." Yet another excuse came up to mind, one to get him out of this whole mess. He'd have to tell her, whether it was now or later. "There's something I should probably tell you before this goes much further. This might be kinda hard to believe but.." Once again, Strike cut him off.  
  
"I know, I know. Your disguise isn't that hard to see through. Well, to someone who's seen basically everything, anyway. You needn't be telling me. But I suppose you should know this. I can not tell you the whole truth and history, as that would take a very long time that I do not have right now. I was born and raised in the 15th century, in Japan. I was born into a samurai village, where I was taught and schooled in the Samurai Code. I am over 500 years old, as a childhood foible made me immortal. The reason I have told you this is, because I must trust you, as you must trust me if we are to make it out of this race alive, and in one piece. We must be able to ride as the flock flies, unified. Now I'm not sayin' that we go all lovey- dovey and stuff, just that we trust each other on a competitive level. I don't let you get hurt, you don't let me get hurt. S'right?" Strike smirked. A little bewildered and confused, Raph slowly nodded. "Good. Now let's go. We got alotta ridin' to do, and less time in which to do it in!" Strike smiled gleefully as she twisted the throttle, her back tire squealing for a moment, before darting down the dark country road. Still somewhat confused, but knowing he must follow, Raph quickly put on the speed, dashing after her.  
  
It was a dark, quiet night, peaceful and tranquil. Riding down the old farm roads of New York was oddly calming to Raphael. It somehow made him actually happy. He thought it was nice, quiet and relaxing, as he was finally able to think about stuff, without worrying about being seen, or if he was going to get hit by a nasty car driver or something. Strike kept the ride at a slow pace for the first run-through, just so they could get used to the surroundings and 'take it all in'. Somehow, Raph already felt he had be-friended this samurai girl. He had all these odd feelings and for once actually had time to sort them through.  
  
The course was evenly challenging. Some parts were winding, twisting and turning, while others where good and straight, making it easy to pass and take the lead. It was good for experienced riders if in a race, but nice for beginners if they just wanted to ride. And that's just how both Raph and Strike liked it.  
  
Strike strained her eyes a little to see out into the vast darkness. It wasn't easy riding at night when it was pitch black outside. With a flick of her wrist she turned the bright's on. It was a good decision as about 20 feet ahead of her stood a doe and a buck, side by side, transfixed by the blinding light. Going about 45, she'd hit them in a matter of seconds. Immediately she hit the brakes, leaving a large mark on the concrete. Raph's eyes widened in surprise, as he nearly rammed into Strike's tail end. He braked quickly, turning his bike horizontal, nearly running into Strike by a matter of inches. Both held racing heart beats, as well as a dulled state of shock.  
  
"What happened!? Why'd you stop??" Raph demanded, his eyes narrowed slightly.  
  
"Goddamn deer!! You gotta watch out for those stupid things 'round here, especially at night!" Strike looked back at him for a moment. "Good thing I turned my bright's on, or we coulda easily been dead!"  
  
"You alright then?" There was an odd hint of concern in Raph's voice.  
  
"Fine, just fine. You?"  
  
"Just peachy!" Raph smirked sarcastically. Strike shoke her head lightly and kicked off the road once again, Raph following behind, making sure he didn't stay so close this time.  
  
Nearly three hours after they started, the two finally returned to where they started. Raph was overly relieved, he didn't think it would really take that long, and was starting to get heavy eyed. Strike parked next to the fence, quickly dismounting from her bike. She sauntered silently over to the fence board, picking up a normal black school backpack. She once again walked over to Raph, handing him the backpack. A light smirk played on her lips.  
  
"Take this. You'll need to wear these tomorrow, we've got actual business to take care of. Met me at the entrance to the Drainage Junction back in the city, at sunset, which is normally 'round 6:30. And bring your bike, you'll really be needing it." With a sly smirk, she turned and went back to her own bike, quickly driving off.  
  
With a quizzical tilt of his head, Raph looked through the backpack. He gave a small disgusted snort at it's contents, an old black hoodie, a skiing cap, sunglasses, and a pair of old beaten up black jeans, all sized X-L. He shoke his head.  
  
"She actually expects me to wear this stuff?" 


	3. Cant back out now pal!

Notice: I don't own these guys. I do own the character 'Strike'. If you use her without permission, I do have the grounds to sue you, and I WILL! Good. On with chapter 2!!  
  
chapter 3  
can't back out now pal!  
  
Raph sighed as he stared at the backpack that Strike had handed him. He hadn't thought about it all day, but now that the time for him to leave was coming closer, it finally popped into his head. Strike had told him to be at the Drainage Junction by 6:30, and if was about 5:30 now. Luckily, Splinter had taken everyone else out for a training run, making his 'get away' simple. Once again he sighed, put on the clothes, and went off to the Drainage Junction.  
  
Strike pulled up to the entrance of the Drainage Junction, turning off her bike. She sat on her bike for a while, taking a few moments just to think. The trials were tonight at the old warehouse, but she didn't know how her teammate would fair against some of the more competitive racers. He was quick and observant, two of the key traits needed to pass, but from what she had seen, he didn't act so sure of himself on a bike. She sighed quietly. But her thoughts were soon cut off once she heard Raph's bike coming up behind her.  
  
"Good, you came on time today!!" Strike's lips twitched in a meager smile. "You wore the clothes, too! Even better!" She flicked the keys to her bike, starting it back up. "Come on, we better go if we aren't to be late. We have to sign up and get through the trials to get into the race. The trials aren't hard, they're just kinda annoying is all." Raph simply nodded, and Strike started off.  
  
About twenty minutes later, the two arrived at the old warehouse on the outskirts of town. The building would look otherwise abandoned, if it wasn't for the large amount of bikes parked outside, and the punks and goths congregating outside. Raph suddenly had the feeling that he was in way over his head.  
  
They struggled through the crowds to get to a good spot to park. Luckily, they found two spots next to each other, a rare thing. Strike immediately instructed Raph to stay close and to not drop his guard if he could help it.  
  
"We just gotta get into that building, and we'll be good to go." Strike stated as they weaved through one of the 'drunker' groups. One of the girls latched herself onto Raph's right arm, despite his attempts to get her to let go.  
  
"Hey there, big boy." She cooed, her breath hot with the stench of alcohol. "You racin' tonight?" Her tongue ring clicked against her teeth lazily. Raph snorted in a disgusted manner.  
  
"Yeah, I guess." He growled as he finally managed to get her off his arm. Before she could do so again, Raph quickly trodded off after Strike, still feeling utterly confused and lost.  
  
Finally reaching the inside of the building, Raph caught up with Strike.  
  
"Double your guard here, pal. IF you think Vamps are bad, these guys are ten times worse! And don't stray to far from my side, 'cause that wouldn't be good either. There's a whole load of crazies here, getting lost means you're probably gonna get killed." She gave a slight smirk before turning back towards the crowd, pushing her way through the masses. Raph had the sudden notion that he was acting more like a lost little puppy than his normal self. After a moment, he realized he had no idea what he was doing!  
  
"Hey! Strike! What are these trial things anyway!?" Strike stopped at the bar along the wall. She leaned up against the railing of the bar, a sly grin on her face.  
  
"Just wait and see!" She waved a hand in front of her, like she was showing someone a spread. Raph growled in an annoyed way, but tentatively did what she said.  
  
A few moments later, the entire crowd moved towards either the bar or the stands that stood against the other wall. Both Raph and Strike were finally able to see beyond to the large race track right in the middle of the room. The warehouse looked bigger inside than it did if when seen outside. Raph stared at the track for a while, just amazed at the fact that someone had built a track such as that in a warehouse! He shook his head lightly as ten racers and their bikes filed onto the track.  
  
Strike's lip seemed to be stuck in that sly smirk of hers. "You thinkin' of backing outta this?" Raph turned and looked at her for a moment, rubbing his face slightly. He sighed.  
  
"No."  
  
"Good."  
  
The gun went off, starting the race. Rider One bolted into the lead, Rider 5 coming in close behind. As they grew closer to the front turn, they all merged into one mass, making the race dangerous. Already, a rider had clipped the tail end of another, causing a small pile up. Four racers down.  
  
"What is the purpose of all this anyway?"  
  
"To single down the race. If we didn't, there'd be over a hundred racers. It's a very important step before the race." Strike stated, not looking away from the race. Another rider spun out. Five racers down.  
  
"How's it work?"  
  
"Well, you and your partner sign up on that bulletin over there. I'll have to do that later. Anyway, they'll put you into two different heats, and you'll race against other 'wanna-bees' to single down the people. To finish and get into the big race, you have to either Win, Place, Show or come in 4th. But the thing is, you and your partner have to do so, or you're both out." There was a slight hint of concern in her voice as she said her last statement. She still wasn't sure of his ability, and worried for it.  
  
"You sound worried 'bout that." Neither Raph or Strike looked away from the track. The racers where coming into the home stretch now, Number One still in the lead.  
  
"You sound like you've known me all my life." She gave a light 'laughing' snort at the thought. "And me being worried about it is utterly absurd!" Raph shoke his head slightly. A bell suddenly rang, signaling the end of the first race. Number One had come across first, Six was second, Four was third, and Eight was fourth.  
  
"I'll be right back, I have to go sign us up. Don't move."  
  
About five minutes later, Strike returned. She returned to her spot, leaning against the bar.  
  
"So?" Raph questioned, his voice a little urgent.  
  
"Third race, and eighth race. You're up first hot shot." She laughed quietly as one of the others slipped on a puddle of water(at least it looked like water), falling flat onto his nose, breaking it. She nervously licked at her fangs as she realized his nose was bleeding, and pretty badly at that. Raph growled quietly as he notice her eyes light up.  
  
"Don't even think about it, samurai girl." His voice was low and gruff.  
  
Strike gave a quiet whine. "Yeah, but..er.fine." She finally found herself able to look away.  
  
"Where do I get a bike from for that race then?" Raph stood again, stretching slightly. Strike grinned nefariously.  
  
"Come with me." 


	4. Step Up or Step Out

chapter 4  
step up or step out  
  
Strike led Raphael into the back of the warehouse, past the track, even past the stands. Near the backdoor, was yet another door. Strike dug deep into her pockets, pulling out a golden colored key. She jammed it into the lock, quickly unlocking the door. She looked around for a moment, before opening the door. Within, there was a dark passage way, followed by spiraling stair case. She put a hand on the wall, and with in a few moments, the torches lit. Quietly she stepped a side, allowing Raph to pass through. Cautiously, he stepped through.  
  
"Down the steps is where I keep my showroom. There's over thirty bikes down there, along with a few cars. You can take your pick." She quietly barked as she relocked the door. Raph stayed where he was, not exactly willing to go somewhere he didn't know, especially since it was Strike telling him to do so. Once she turned around again, she tilted an eyebrow slightly to see he hadn't left.  
  
"Ladies first," He smirked as she slipped by him. Strike simply rolled her eyes, and carried on. It was at that point that Raph realized, she didn't make a sound when she walked.  
  
Reaching the end of the steps, Raph was amazed at what he saw. She was right, there were more than thirty bikes in one underground show room. He could feel himself start to drool, but simply couldn't help it. Strike only laughed.  
  
"You better not stare at them all night, you got a race in a few minutes! The Buell's are over on the left. Then the Ninjas, and the Suzuki Katana's next to them. There's a few Screamin' Eagles on the right, but I don't use them much.don't even really know if they run anymore." Raph immediately went towards the Ninja's and Katana's. Strike couldn't help but laugh. Raph found it kind of ironic too.  
  
About five minutes later, Raphael finally made his choice. It was a mean looking, black Katana, covered in blood red accents. On the tank, Strike had put 'Don't Bite the Dog, If the Dog can Bite Back!" in drippy red letters. Raph could feel himself start drooling again. Strike nodded once he had picked it out, taking it over to the elevator for him.  
  
Once on ground level again, Strike pushed the bike over to the railing of the track, parking it. She grinned as she handed him the keys.  
  
"She's all yours pal! Fastest thing I own! Well.Next to my Viper anyway." She gave a wider than normal grin, and patted him on the shoulder. "I trust you won't bust it up.well, not to badly at least." She laughed quietly once again, and headed back towards the bar to watch. Raph sighed quietly and took the bike to the starting line.  
  
"Riders! Start your engines!!"  
  
Raph's heart was racing. He'd never done something like this, or even remotely like this before. He quickly turned the key, starting the engine up. He could feel his palms sweating. The concrete felt oddly cool beneath his feet. He felt like all the judging eyes of New York were laid heavily upon him, and he couldn't shake free. Adrenaline pumped through his veins, the only thing that kept him there.  
  
"Riders! Watch for the green!!"  
  
Raph started at the stop light in front of him. There was a red light, two yellow lights, and three green. The light had already shifted to the second yellow. Not much longer now. Suddenly, the light shifted and a loud buzzer sounded. It caught Raph by surprise, but he was off like a jack rabbit. He leaned forward, gripping the throttle hard, the bike speeding gleefully beneath him.  
  
The track suddenly became a lot larger than he first thought. He shifted towards the pole position along with the pack, starting to seem to get the flow of it. They whipped around the first turn, Raph already putting himself in third position, a good spot.  
  
Strike watched eagerly from her spot at the bar. She took a light sip of her Corona beer, her eyes brightly lit. The bike Raph had picked had never in its racing career been beaten, ridden both by amateurs and experienced riders. Already, Strike could see he was an easy win, the other riders were timid, keeping the pace slow, while Raph was pressing them forward. He was in second position now. 'Excellent!' Strike grinned eagerly, taking another sip of her beer.  
  
"Just break loose now Raph and you got it!" She yelled, nearly at the top of her lungs, but still knew Raph probably wouldn't be able to hear.  
  
The back corner was coming up fast. Raphael could feel his fingers automatically start to loosen up on the throttle, and get ready around the brakes if he so needed them. 'It's like the bike is telling me what to do..' He gritted his teeth, and leaned forward a little more for the rest of the race.  
  
Around the back corner they came, and Raph immediately gunned it. He had his hole, and could easily slip through and be victorious. Everyone was making the mad dash along with him, but none of the other bikes could keep up. Raph felt like he had hit near 100 m.p.h. as he flashed past the finish line, in first of course, but he had gone beyond that. The bike had actually hit upwards of 130 m.p.h. Strike ecstatically bounced up and down, screaming at the top of her lungs, jeering and yelling as loud as she could. She could hardly be heard though, over the other rebellious yells and yelps of the rest of the crowd. She darted down to the race track, where the contestants where already filling off.  
  
"You did it! You really did!" She yelped joyously all the way down to his side, yelling even louder the closer she got.  
  
"Yeah! I guess I did!!" Raph stood proudly next to the bike, looking to have even more self confidence than before.  
  
"In all the years I've had that bike, I don't think I've even gotten it up that fast in such a small spot! You're well on your way to being a master racer!" She giggled, starting to get overly hyper, a very rare thing indeed. Obviously, she had had a little more beer than she had thought.  
  
Raph tilted an eyebrow. "You alright there? You're er.hyper.." Strike quickly nodded, wide eyed.  
  
"Just fine! Yep, yep! Fine!" She sipped her beer again. Raph growled.  
  
"You sure you should be drinking that? 'Specially since you're gonna be racing in a while??" He put a hand lightly on her shoulder.  
  
She nodded rapidly again. "I think so, yeah. I've raced under worse conditions. It normally goes away in a few minutes anyway." She grinned.  
  
"A few minutes!? How 'bout a few hours!" Raph laughed at the absurd idea of getting 'un-drunk' in a matter of moments.  
  
Strike giggled and nodded again. "You gotta remember, ninja boy, I'm a Shifter. We work 'round things. Plus, our time goes slower, and faster than yours. I'm already half over it.kinda. I'll be good by race time, and you can bet your ass on that pal!" She grinned proudly, slowly starting to act normal again. Raph only shoke his head, handing over the keys to the bike. Strike put a hand up and pushed them away.  
  
"You keep it. It likes you better any way." She grinned, and looked down at her watch. "Eep! I gots to go pick a bike. Be right back!" She slipped past him again, quick as a cat, and darted off back to the show room.  
  
"It likes me better???" 


End file.
